The following is a brief review of the memorials to the fallen of the two World Wars found in the village of Great Limber and of the persons named thereon.
Data is drawn from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ( CWGC) and from ‘ Soldiers Died in The Great War 1914 – 1919 ‘ Vol 15.
The Church of St Peter, GREAT LIMBER
1914- 1918
On the inner western wall is displayed a glazed frame 12″ by 8″ in which is contained a printed form bearing various extracts from the scriptures and a panel, in which are handwritten the following names
JOHN PERCY SMITH
FREDERICK WOODCOCK DOWKER
EDWARD FLATT COLE
JOSEPH MAPLETHORPE
EDWARD DENIS CLIXBY
ALFRED SKELTON
BERT RICHARDSON ANDERSON
1939 – 1945
On the same wall is erected a bronze tablet set on a wooden base, some 20 ” by 15 “. The tablet bears a naval crown above the words
JOHN CHARLES HEPTON
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR KING AND COUNTRY
LOST ON HMS BOADICEA
JUNE 13TH 1944 AGED 21 YEARS
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
Displayed with the tablet is a photograph of a young man in Home Guard uniform identified as J C Hepton.
John Charles HEPTON was the son of David and Laura Jane Hepton of Great Limber. He served as Ordinary Seaman C/JX 657768 in The Royal Navy and was killed on the 13th June 1944 when his ship, HMS Boadicea was sunk by air attack in the English Channel. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Chatham Memorial, Kent.
A black metal plaque in the same vicinity bears the wording
TO THE MEMORY OF
CHARLES ASHTON HOWSON
Aged 21
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY
April 29th 1944
A small portrait photograph, identified as C A Howson, is displayed alongside the plaque.
CHARLES ASHTON HOWSON
Sgt 1592372 Charles Ashton HOWSON was a member of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and the son of John Ashton Howson and Harriett Howson of Limber. He was killed on the 28th April 1944 aged 21.He is commemorated on the RAF Memorial at Runnymede.
1914 – 1918
JOHN PERCIVAL SMITH
John Percival SMITH was born at South Ormsby and enlisted at Louth into the 7th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. Serving as Corporal 13438 at the time of his death on the 3rd July 1916,his home was given as Limber Magna. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
FREDERICK WOODCOCK DOWKER
Frederick Woodcock DOWKER appears to refer to Frederick Henry DOWKER, Lance Corporal SPTS/765 who served in the 23rd Battalion, Royal Fusiliers and who was killed in action on the 27th July 1916 aged 39. Frederick Woodcock Dowker was in fact his father, a surgeon and his mother, Elizabeth a Managing Solicitor. At the time of his death the family lived in Helmsley, Yorkshire. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
EDWARD FLATT COLE
Private 13627 Edward Flatt COLE was killed in action on the 9th August 1915 whilst serving at Gallipolli with the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, Turkey.
JOSEPH HENRY MAPLETHORPE
Joseph Henry MAPLETHORPE, the son of George Croft Maplethorpe and Hannah Elizabeth Maplethorpe of Church End, East Halton was killed on the 3rd July 1916 aged 21 whilst serving with the 8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
E.D.CLIXBY
2nd Lieutenant E.D.CLIXBY was killed aged 18 on the 13th October 1915 whilst serving with the 4th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He was the son of Joseph Keyworth Clixby and Annabel Clixby of Limber House, Habrough. He is commemorated on the Loos Memorial.
ALFRED SKELTON
Alfred SKELTON is buried in the churchyard of All Saints at Brocklesby. He died on the 14th February 1915 whilst serving as Private 13479 in the 6th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. At the time his home was given as Little Limber.
BERT RICHARDSON ANDERSON
Bert Richardson Anderson. The CWGC identify 15 men of this name, none can be identified with the village.
In the same area of the church are displayed a number of small framed portrait photographs of men in the uniform of the Lincolnshire Regiment. They are not identified.
SAMUEL NEEDHAM V.C.
In addition there is a privately printed pamphlet detailing the life of Private 203329 Samuel Needham V.C. of the 1/5th Bedfordshire Regiment. He was born in nearby Brocklesby, the son of Septimus and Mary Needham, and died in Palestine on the 4th November 1918 as a result of wounds received. The award of The Victoria Cross in respect of his outstanding valour on the night of the 10th – 11th September that year at Kefr Kasim was published in the London Gazette on the 30th October 1918. He is buried in the Kantara War Cemetery, near the Suez Canal, Egypt.
